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The question caused Lakers coach JJ Redick to say he was “not being combative” with his answer.

Asked if the Lakers are missing opportunities to practice more and build on-court chemistry because of their busy six-game preseason slate, Redick was quick to wonder why reporters were so concerned about the situation.

“You guys are really harping on this,” Redick responded.

So, Redick was asked, is it a thing or is it not a thing?

“I’m not being combative right now,” Redick said. “I just want to acknowledge that you guys, like the last four days, like it’s becoming a little bit obsessive with all these questions about opportunities lost. So, I will answer it again. These are the cards that we were dealt. I sure would like everybody to be healthy.”

Making the most out of the situation, the Lakers held off the Golden State Warriors 126-116 Sunday night at Crypto.com Arena despite not playing with LeBron James (sciatica), Luka Doncic and Marcus Smart (Achilles tendinopathy).

Redick said the plan is for Smart to “get two games [in] this week.”

The Lakers have three remaining preseason games: Tuesday at Phoenix, Wednesday at Las Vegas against the Dallas Mavericks and Friday against the visiting Sacramento Kings — four games over a six-day span.

Redick was reminded that the Lakers as an organization have chosen to play six preseason games — the maximum allowed by the NBA.

“It’s something to be discussed I think going forward,” Redick said. “I think it’s awesome. I really do because we got to play in Palm Springs and I think it’s awesome that we get to play in Vegas and I recognize that there’s Lakers fans all over the world that maybe don’t get the chance to see us play.

“You hope that we can find some sort of balance in the future to get more practice time, less travel time. I’m sure at some point we’ll be one of the teams going overseas, so then that adds another scenario.”

Lakers guard Bronny James, front, and Golden State forward Trayce Jackson-Davis battle for a rebound in the first half Sunday of the Lakers’ 126-116 preseason win at Crypto.com Arena.

(Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)

Redick did say for training camp purposes, practice tends to be more helpful in team building than preseason games.

“I think more practices would be beneficial,” Redick said. “I do think the exposure to a game situation and playing against an opponent is very beneficial. You don’t have a lot of days anymore and to try to cram six games in there [and] four games in six nights, it’s significantly difficult.”

Against the Warriors on Sunday, Austin Reaves (21 points), Dalton Knecht (16), Rui Hachimura (16) and Deandre Ayton (14 points, eight rebounds, five assists) were on top of their games.

For Ayton, who was six for eight from the field and had a blocked shot, his joy came from the fans cheering him on. Sure, it was only a preseason game, but Ayton loved the vibe and the positive energy he felt.

It was Ayton’s first time playing at Crypto.com Arena since he signed a two-year, $16.6-million deal with the Lakers.

“It hit me in the whole arena today just hearing the fans and everybody cheering,” Ayton said. “It was kind of an unusual sound other than boos. … It was everybody showing love and welcoming me to L.A. I played so freely and I had a lot of fun.”

Norwegian athletics coach Gjert Ingebrigtsen told a court on Monday he “loves” his children and was just an “overly protective” father as he denied abuse allegations.

Ingebrigtsen, 59, is on trial in Norway accused of physically and mentally abusing his 24-year-old son Jakob and another of his children.

Double Olympic champion Jakob said when giving evidence last week that his father “manipulated” and “controlled” him throughout his upbringing and detailed a series of alleged incidents.

Gjert addressed the court at the criminal case in Sandnes in his own defence. He said he had tried to shield all seven of his children, two more of whom also became successful athletes.

“I became a father very early, with an enormous need to protect. I became what one might call overly protective,” Gjert was quoted as saying in court by Norwegian state broadcaster NRK.

“Highlighting relevant incidents in relation to the charges may make it seem like I am being portrayed negatively towards my children. But I love my children immensely.”

Gjert Ingebrigtsen told the court the ambition of some of his children had been “absolutely extreme” when they started to participate in sports.

“I never heard ‘could you please’, but rather entirely different demands and expectations,” Gjert said.

“The demands from the children were about district level, national level, European level, and world level. Later, ‘Dad’ became ‘Gjert’, and ‘Gjert’ became ‘the accused’.”

It was alleged in court last week that Gjert struck Jakob several times after he received a negative report about his behaviour from school when he was aged eight.

Jakob also said that in 2008, when he was about the same age, his father hit him in the face because he was late for a race.

He described another incident a year later when he alleged Gjert kicked him in the stomach after he fell off a scooter.

Jakob also alleged his father threatened him in 2016, and another episode around the same time when Gjert was said to have thrown his games console out of the window.

THE impact of Brexit on the economy has been “overly exaggerated”, insists former Chancellor Jeremy Hunt.

The Tory MP, who backed Remain in 2016, says the move has had “much less impact on exports to the EU” than previously thought.

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It comes as a think tank’s report hits out at the Office for Budget Responsibility watchdog.

It said their flawed models risked undermining UK trade policy at a critical time.

The report revealed UK vehicle exports fell by 28 per cent between 2019 and 2023.

But the actual value fell by just 2 per cent in real terms, the think tank said.

It also says that goods which were imported to the UK and then sent out again, known as “re-exports” accounted for a large discrepancy in the fall in outward trade.

The Remain-backer warned that those “who seek to relitigate Brexit are deeply mistaken”.

He said: “In this era of increasing geopolitical uncertainty, it is more important than ever that the UK keeps all of its allies close.

“Britain does not need to choose between the EU and the US on trade, but should seek to maintain positive and open relationships with both.”